Mailbox signal



Jan. 16, 1962 A. A. PIERGIOVANNI 3,017,073

MAILBOX SIGNAL Filed April 8, 1960 I I f f L 35 L 27 FFIEE] E INVENTOR. AMgJ A Pfergz'o van/21' ATTORNEY.

3,0l7,73 Patented Jan. 16, 1962 free town, Ghio Filed Apr. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 20,973 2 Claims. (Cl. 232-65) This invention relates to a rural route mailbox and more particularly to a signal device operative on said mailbox when the door of the mailbox is opened.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a mailbox signal that acts to indicate the fact that the door of the mailbox has been opened and mail deposited therein.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a mailbox signal of simple inexpensive construction that may be easily applied to new and existing mailboxes.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a mailbox signal comprising a device pivotally afiixed to the mailbox and arranged so that opening the door of the mailbox will move the device to a different position.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a mailbox signal that will automatically and unfailingly indicate the fact that the mailbox door has been opened and mail deposited therein.

The mailbox signal disclosed herein comprises an improvement in the art relating to such devices and is so formed that it can be easily attached to all existing mailboxes and used to indicate the opening of the mailbox door. The mailbox signal comprises primarily a signal flag section which is hinged to the mailbox and normally held in position against the mailbox by a permanent magnet. Opening the mailbox door acts to move the signal flag away from the magnet so that it will swing downwardly to a clearly visible position. The signal flag may be reset for subsequent action by moving it back into its initial position adjacent the closed mailbox door where the permanent magnet will again hold it until the next time the mailbox door is opened.

With the foregoing and other objects in view will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of a mailbox showing the mailbox signal thereon.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of a mailbox with parts broken away and parts in cross section and showing the mailbox signal.

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the mailbox with the door in partly open position and the signal in visible position.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the mailbox signal shown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is an end section on line 5-'5 of FIG- URE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a side view of a mailbox with parts broken away and parts in cross section showing a modified form of the invention.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged cross sectional detail of a portion of the modified device shown in FIGURE 6.

By referring to the drawings and FIGURES l and 2 in particular it will be seen that a mail box 10 has been disclosed which has a door 11 on one end thereof and that the door 11 is provided with a friction catch member 12 which is adapted to engage a friction catch member 13 attached to the mailbox 10 as will be understood by those skilled in the art. The mailbox 10 has a bottom 14 therein and the door 11 has an opening 15 therein near the lower central portion thereof. A hinge 16 secures the bottom of the door 11 to the forward edge of the bottom 14- of the mailbox 10. A second hinge 17 attached to the bottom of the door 11 positions a signal member 18 in movable relation to the door 11 and so that the signal member 18 can be positioned vertically immediately adjacent the front of the door 11 as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings. A mounting block 19 is positioned on the bottom 14 of the mailbox by fasteners 2b as best seen in FIGURES 2, 4 and 5.

The mounting block 19 is preferably formed of a dielectric material such as molded plastic and has a horizontal opening 21 therethrough in which a sleeve 22 holding a permanent magnet 23 is positioned. A set screw 24 is positioned in the mounting block 19 and engaged against the sleeve 22 and permanent magnet 23 to hold the same in desirable position relative thereto and so that the outermost end of the permanent magnet 23 is engaged in the opening 15 in the door 11 and in contact with the signal member 1?]. The signal member 18 is formed of ferrous metal so that it will be held by the magnet 23 in the position shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. By referring now to FIGURE 3 it will be observed that when the door 11 is opened as by the mailman positioning mail in the mailbox 11 the movement of the door 11 will move the signal member 18, which is pivoted thereto, away from the magnet 23 and at the same time so position the signal member 18 so that it will swing downwardly into signaling position beneath the door 11 and the mailbox 1ft as shown in FIGURE 3.

The closing of the door 11 will not alfect the depending position of the signal member 18 and the same will therefore remain in depending relation to the mailbox 1t and the door 11 thereby indicating that mail has been positioned in the mailbox. When the mail is removed from the mailbox and the door 11 again closed, the signal member 13 is manually moved to its initial vertical position where it will again engage the magnet 23 and be held in vertical position immediately adjacent the mailbox door 11.

Those skilled in the art will observe that modifications in the invention may be made and that one such modification comprises the moving of the signal member or flag from the front of the mailbox to another location thereon; for example, in FIGURES 6 and 7 of the drawings such a modification is illustrated and by referring thereto it will be seen that a mailbox 25 having a door 26 hinged thereto by a hinge 27 is disclosed and wherein the mailbox 25 has a bottom 28 and a back panel 29. The back panel 29 is provided with an opening 30 in which an annular sealing member 31 is positioned. A block 32 of dielectric material such as plastic is mounted in the mailbox 25 on the bottom 28 by fasteners 33. An opening 34 is positioned horizontally through the block 32 and a magnet 35 positioned in a carrier 36 is slidably mounted in the opening 34. A coil spring 37 is positioned be tween the carrier 36 and a shoulder in the block 32 and a flexible cable or rod 38 is attached to the magnet carrier 36 and extended through a tube 39 which is positioned on the bottom 28 of the mailbox. The tube 39 extends to a point adjacent the door 26 and the opposite end of the flexible cable or rod 38 is attached to a clamp 40 which in turn is afiixed to the door 26. A signal member 11 is affixed to the mailbox 25 by a hinge 42 in a position immediately adjacent the end of the magnet 35. The magnet 35 normally holds the signal member 31 in vertical position adjacent the back panel 3% of the mailbox. At such time as the mailbox door 26 is opened by the mailman in putting mail in the mailbox 3 the cable 38 attached to the door 26 is moved thereby and moves the magnet carrier 36 and the magnet 35 inwardly of the mailbox 25 and away from the signal member 41 which is therefore freed and swings downwardly into depending signaling position below the mailbox.

It will thus be seen that the modified form of the invention like the preferred form shown in FIGURES 1 through 5 of the drawings results in the operation of a signaling device which enables a person to determine that mail has been placed in the mailbox.

It will thus be seen that the mailbox signal disclosed herein meets the several objects of the invention and having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a rural mailbox comprising a housing open at one end and provided at said open end with a hingedly mounted downwardly and outwardly swingable closing apertured door, a signal member comprising a flat ferrous metal member normally positioned vertically against the exterior of said apertured door and hinged at its bottommost edge to said apertured door, a permanent magnet positioned in said mailbox adjacent said door and having a portion thereof engaged in said aperture in said door and touching said flat ferrous metal member and normally holding said flat ferrous metal member in said vertical position whereby upon the opening of said door said fiat ferrous metal member will be moved away from said magnet and thereby caused to swing outwardly and downwardly.

2. The rural mailbox set forth in claim 1 and wherein a mounting block is positioned in said mailbox adjacent said door and said permanent magnet is adjustably positioned in said mounting block for movement toward and away from said door and in alignment with said aperture therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,203,580 Ronning June 4, 1940 2,807,410 Ward Sept. 24, 1957 2,808,982 Armstrong Oct. 8, 1957 2,864,553 Petrie Dec. 16, 1958 

